Wolverhampton Wanderers haven’t had the greatest week since their defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League last Saturday.
Firstly, Bruno Lage was sacked after a disappointing start to the campaign, which saw just three league goals scored and only one victory. Later in the week, it was revealed that Portuguese winger Pedro Neto – who was substituted against the Hammers after just 24 minutes – had suffered an ankle ligament injury and will miss the World Cup, heaping more misery on the Old Gold.
Coaches Steve Davis and James Collins will prepare the team ahead of the trip to Chelsea this afternoon, and Wolves might see a few line-up changes.
Due to the injury to Neto, Adama Traore should now be unleashed against the Blues, and he could make a big difference today if he does feature from the start.
The 26-year-old is yet to start a league game for Wolves this season, appearing off the bench in all of his five top-flight appearances so far in 2022/23.
He did start, though, in the Carabao Cup match against Preston North End and gave an excellent performance as Wolves won 2-1. The winger scored what transpired to be the winner while receiving a rating of 7.6 via SofaScore for his 62-minute appearance.
Traore succeeded with 67% of his dribble attempts, won 75% of his total duels and played one key pass against the Lilywhites, proving that he can still heavily influence matches when he is in the mood.
The 26-year-old will now need to step up in place of Neto, and he might just thrive under a change of manager. Lage sent him on loan to Barcelona last season, where the Spain winger played 17 times and registered four assists.
There is no doubting the player’s talent, with his impressive pace and brute strength making him an absolute nightmare for defenders. With Chelsea conceding ten league goals already this season, Traore could target left-back Ben Chilwell and dominate him.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dubbed the Spaniard “unplayable” in the past, and when the winger is at his best, the opposition should be worried.
Today marks a clean slate for the Wolves squad in the post-Lage era, and Traore should seize any opportunity gifted to him with both hands.
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